I have yet to mystery shop, mainly because I live far from civilization, but I do have several friends who do this. Basically, you go into a store and shop, and then report back to the mystery shopping company on one of their forms. Sometimes, they want you to take pictures, so a digital camera comes in handy. Sometimes the pay is good; sometimes not. But overall, you get reimbursed for your purchase, plus the pay for performing the shop.
A dear friend mystery shops a specific fast food chain every few months. What this means is that she gets a free meal, after reimbursement. It may not seem like much, but if you do this once or twice a month, you do save money since you aren't eating at home. Sometimes you have to apply for a shop, which there is no guarantee that you will get it. This has happened to me before, which is part of the reason why I haven't done one. Many of these restrict the limits of the shop, such as you can't bring children. However, I have seen great mystery shops at well known chains that allotted $50 for dinner and $20 for drinks! Hire a baby sitter and you and your spouse get a free dinner!
Volition.com has a page where you can access mystery shopping company sites, and also has a forum where you can read about which companies pay (or not!) As with surveys, you should never pay to join a site to mystery shop. They should be paying you, not the other way around.
Maybe eventually I will be able to take advantage of this unique way to make ends meet! Right now I have an active 3 year old whom I would not be able to take on a shop with me. If anyone has had any positive experiences (or negative) please leave me a comment. I'd be interested to know which companies you are shopping for and what your experiences have been! It goes without saying that living close to a larger city will net you more opportunities.
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